This invention is in the field of garment support devices, particularly clothes hangers for supporting a plurality of garments used in a garment or travel bag. The type of garment support under consideration typically has a single hook or handle part at the top, a central frame member, and two, three or more separate hanger parts. One common design objective in the prior art was to be able to hang numerous garments in a minimum of space; another design objective was - to provide apparatus which itself occupied minimum space, but was capable of carrying numerous garments; however with both of these objectives there is usually the drawback that clothing becomes wrinkled. While the hangers may lie close together, and in some cased lie within a single plane, suits of clothing on these same hangers cannot occupy so little space and consequently become cramped together and wrinkled. A totally different problem is a difficulty in getting clothing on or off the multiple hangers when other garments are already on. Solutions to the loading or to the space problem usually have produced apparatus that are basically larger to eliminate congestion and interference of parts and clothing, however such devices are not practical for use with a garment travel bag where smallness and compactness are the objectives.
In this field there are both wire and plastic hangers, the latter being injection molded pieces requiring large initial expense for a mold, and the use of specialized equipment with highly trained operators. Plastic hangers have another sever limitation, namely that the proprietor cannot make large or even small changes in shape of the product without a major expense in modifying the mold. Thus economy of manufacture often controls and limits the design of these hangers.
The above-described and other problems are particularly acute when thhe multiple hanger in question must be usable within a garment bag, and must be easily insertable and removable from such a bag, in both loaded and unloaded conditions. Facility of use is only one key objective; also of concern is avoidance of wrinkling the clothes, while in transit and while stationary. These and other problems have been overcome by the new invention described below.